Bruiser owners: How good are they really?

[Nick]

I am curious about the Tamiya Bruiser. I love the fact that they are all metal. I have some questions for people that own them or know about them.

How many of these were made? Just curious how many are circulating out there and what the chances are of picking one up for a good price.

How does the performance compare to an F350 High Lift? I am wondering if Tamiya has produced something that is actually better. Or, is the Bruiser still the king. Obviously they intended to fill the gap with something a little cheaper.

Is it actually worth it to get one?

Can a different battery be used in it?

Is it hard to get a replacement motor for it?

 

[william g]

If you want a runner get a highlift

Bruiser-mounty can both use a standard battery. Blazer and hilux you need some foam to take up space.

Axles can be fragile if jumped or hard offroading

Tranny slipper can puke easy to

RC4WD makes a 540 motor conversion.

I love mine, but since the highl.ift came out they've not been .

 

[Locoboy5150]

Is it actually worth it to get one?

That depends on what your priorities are. In my opinion though, if scale realism is not your #1 reason for getting a truck, then do not even think about getting an old Tamiya 3 speed 4x4. Only think about these trucks if these two things apply:

1. Scale realism isthe most important quality in your R/C truck.

2. You have a *LOT* of money.

For item two, that's subjective. But to give you an idea, I estimate that I've spent several thousand dollars combined on my five classic Tamiya trucks. Note that two of them aren't anywhere near complete yet either.

 

[4u2nv]

Depends... I sold most of mine off before the new Hilux came out. I like the looks of them but could never bring myself to actually really run one. I mean I drove them around like real trucks but never really wheeled one. I guess mine were more like mall crawlers:rof I was always afraid of breaking something. I did keep one that I started building, it's still not finished but it's not original either. I got rid of the 3 speed for a pede trans so I guess it's not even considered a Tamiya 3 speed anymore. If you're are looking for something to bash and don't have a ton of money to spend on hunting down spare parts I'd say stay away from a Bruiser. If you want it for your collection go for it.

 

[kpn]

I would agree. Buy one if your into scale and scale driving. I think the cost above is a little exagerated. I bought two runners in the past two weeks off ebay for $350 and $450. Plan to make one nice truck out of them. So when I am done, I will have about $500 into it with a pretty decent (runner) truck. Thats pretty close to what you would spend on a new Hilux/F350. If your after a pristine example, then it gets expensive. Pristine ones can get up to the $1000 range pretty easily. I also think they are a hoot to drive. Nothing like getting stuck in 2wd, shifting to 4wd low and pulling out of it. They will hold up fine to normal driving. Start driving it like a modern plastic truck (jumps, hitting stuff, reverse slams, etc) and it won't hold up very good. My 2 cents.

Keith

 

[FinishLineRC]

I do not hink its exagerated....to find a Bruiser intact with everything is hard and even Tamiyas HighLift isnt NEAR what the realism of the Bruiser represents.
If you want a Bruiser to function you can take the extra leafs out of the leaf pack and just use the main one. Also you can disconnect the shocks as they dont function like the real ones do. The leaf on the Bruiser takes all the shock anyways since the truck doesnt have enough weight to compress the leaf like a real truck.
The Hi Lifts' frame isnt anything like the realism of the briser...and never will be.
The Bruisers axle shafts are hard to get (especailly front ones that are good).

So if you want a Hilift that has a Bruiser body, get a new realease. If you want eye popppin realism and a little bit of history, get an Original issue.:wnk

 

[Locoboy5150]

I should mention that when it comes to my 3 speed 4x4s, I'm *extremely* picky about them being in good condition to start with and thus I paid a lot. For example, both my Bruiser and my Mountaineer have their side view mirrors. Thus, I paid a premium for them. In the case of my Mountaineer, I paid even more because I bought a mint condition chassis and mated it with a mint condition body that I bought separately.

I do not think that these trucks could be classified as "cheap" though, no matter how one looks at them. Sure, there are people that find a long-forgotten free one collecting dust in someone's son's closet after that son has grown up, moved out, gotten married, and now has three kids, but those are very rare. I think that the barn behind that same house also has a forgotten 1969 Dodge Daytona with a Hemi 426 sitting next to a 1967 Sting Ray with an L88 427 engine too!

 

[Nick]

I'd love to get a Bruiser. The only thing I worry about is now that I have a High Lift, I might be dissapointed in the performance of the Bruiser. I was under the impression that the old 3 speeds were in another league, but after talking to people, it seems like the High Lift might take the crown. I would hate to buy a Bruiser, and then have more fun with my High Lifts.

However, the Bruiser is sexy. All metal is appealing.

I keep seeing them on Ebay. It seems like there are a lot of them out there. They always magically pop up. So, I am going to be patient about getting one. I almost a bought one a couple of differant times, and I am glad I didn't because they aren't as rare as they seem. Not with how many new ones are always for sale. I wonder how many of the 3 speeds were actually produced?

The worry I have is finding an original one. It must be hard to determine what is real and what isn't. Someone could easily build one out of differant parts and put it on ebay.

Also, I could buy one off ebay that is a pile of crap, and you just won't know till it arrives at your door.

Another thing I have seen, is that I think it is possible to build a complete Bruiser just by buying parts off of Ebay. Probably be really expensive, but with the prices Bruisers are going for, it might be worth it to actually build one from parts.

 

[FinishLineRC]

I'd love to get a Bruiser. The only thing I worry about is now that I have a High Lift, I might be dissapointed in the performance of the Bruiser. I was under the impression that the old 3 speeds were in another league, but after talking to people, it seems like the High Lift might take the crown. I would hate to buy a Bruiser, and then have more fun with my High Lifts.

However, the Bruiser is sexy. All metal is appealing.

I keep seeing them on Ebay. It seems like there are a lot of them out there. They always magically pop up. So, I am going to be patient about getting one. I almost a bought one a couple of differant times, and I am glad I didn't because they aren't as rare as they seem. Not with how many new ones are always for sale. I wonder how many of the 3 speeds were actually produced?

The worry I have is finding an original one. It must be hard to determine what is real and what isn't. Someone could easily build one out of differant parts and put it on ebay.

Also, I could buy one off ebay that is a pile of crap, and you just won't know till it arrives at your door.

Another thing I have seen, is that I think it is possible to build a complete Bruiser just by buying parts off of Ebay. Probably be really expensive, but with the prices Bruisers are going for, it might be worth it to actually build one from parts.

If you want an original one, make sure the frame rails are bent AND channeled. It LOOKS like a frame from a truck. The HiLift is just 2 straight front to back rails....nothing to them. Good luck and it will be worth it in the end. I own 2 of them. Enjoy!

 

[Locoboy5150]

The worry I have is finding an original one. It must be hard to determine what is real and what isn't. Someone could easily build one out of differant parts and put it on ebay.

The parts weren't individually serial numbered, like on a classic 1:1 scale car/truck, so a 100% accurate Tamiya three speed 4x4 could be built up from spare Tamiya parts and you'd never be able to tell the difference between one that was built from an original kit. You just have to know how to tell the difference between the somewhat weaker stock parts and the stronger aftermarket ones that some sellers try to push off as original equipment.

Telling the reproduction stock parts from the Tamiya originals might be a bit harder though. The body parts that people are making sure look nearly identical to my eyes, though I'll admit that I have only seen them in photos on other peoples' trucks. Thankfully, all of my trucks were bought before those parts were being made so I've never had to dealt with if the parts on my trucks were made by Tamiya or not.

 

[william g]

I think it is possible to build a complete Bruiser just by buying parts off of Ebay. Probably be really expensive, but with the prices Bruisers are going for, it might be worth it to actually build one from parts.

That can be very expensive, unless you don't mind waiting on the rare deals that happen once great while, meaning getting everything is going to take years. Most expensive parts, First is unused then Good Body, Decals, then good /mint wheels

 

[4wdmt]

There is something with owning a bruiser that I can't explain. Mine is a runner, but I don't run it that often. I even baby it when playing outside, knowing parts aren't that cheap. Part are still available on ebay just in case you break them.

Just look at this Tamiya commercial, what a beauty!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bwWTPcxb_Vc

For me, it is a different story. I don't have the urge buying the new 3 speed F350 / HiLux. Maybe because I have a bruiser. But if ever I'll buy one, it will just be for the body set of the HiLux and I'll make my bruiser into a mountaineer.

Take your time on deciding. They are out there and you can get good deals at the right time.

 

[nsr250_repsol]

Well, I currently own 2 bruisers. One is built and mostly sits on a display shelf with a couple of my other old RCs I raced when I was a Kid (Optima Mid and MIP 410L converted RC10 Team Car). My other Bruiser is in a complete rebuild stage. I love my Bruisers and probibly would only part with one for a Mint Avante.

 

[Electrohacker]

I'm up to 4.

one is a modified runner, and I run it almost as hard as I do my highlifts and tlt's. it is hard on the axles and I'm considering 12mm hex mods to strengthen them

one is a semi mod. that means it only has mods that would have been done back then, dual shocks sipper replacement etc. I run it at PA in the trials course and the motor always lets out some smoke so I need to replace it.

my third is a shelf queen / light runner. it's pure stock down to the MSC

my fourth will be a scale runner. it'll get every mod I can think of and a modded bruiser body.

these trucks arent cheap, but neither is a highlift. I have only $100-300 more in my bruisers than my modded high lift. as for durability... I'd say the front axle is th main concern, once you shore that up, it's pretty stout.